Incumbent state legislators representing the Mahoning Valley raised significantly more money than their challengers thanks largely to political action committees, and in the cases of the four Republican incumbents, financial support from party fundraising groups and candidate committees.

During the pregeneral reporting period, April 20 to Oct. 16, the four incumbent Republicans received between $34,137 and $101,068 in in-kind contributions from a combination of the Ohio Republican Party, the Republican Senate Campaign Committee (RSCC) and / or the Ohio House Republican Alliance.

State Sen. Al Cutrona, R-Canfield, who was appointed June 26 to the 33rd Ohio Senate District seat after four years in the Ohio House, received the largest in-kind contribution with $63,393 coming from the RSCC, the Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, and the rest from the Ohio Republican Party’s State Candidate Fund. It was for direct mail, digital advertising, radio and TV advertising and postage.

But Cutrona gave $100,000 to RSCC for campaign expenses.

MAHONING COUNTY

Cutrona is facing Democrat Marty Hume of Youngstown in the 33rd Senate District race that wasn’t supposed to be on the ballot this year. Republican Michael Rulli of Salem resigned from the seat June 12, a day after he was elected to the 6th Congressional District post. The winner will serve the remaining two years left on Rulli’s term.

Cutrona has been a strong fundraiser during his four years in the state House.

In addition to the $101,068 he received in in-kind contributions during the period, Cutrona raised $151,545 with $56,850 provided by PACs.

Cutrona spent $130,159 in the period. The $100,000 to the RSCC was by far his largest expense.

Because of a large carryover from previous campaigns and filing periods, Cutrona had $101,078 in his campaign fund as of Oct. 16.

In comparison, Hume started with no money and raised $24,819 in the pregeneral filing period — though his first contribution was Aug. 1 — with a $3,500 contribution from the candidate being his largest contribution. Hume’s $25,000 in loans to his campaign was more money than he raised from donors. Hume also gave $3,250 in in-kind contributions to his campaign for yard signs.

Hume spent $42,681 in the period with $25,184 going toward commercials on local television and cable.

His fund had $7,138 in it as of Oct. 16.

The 33rd District includes all of Mahoning, Columbiana and Carroll counties and favors Republicans by about 9.5% based on statewide partisan voting trends during the past decade.

With Cutrona’s seat open, Republicans appointed Tex Fischer to that position June 26.

Fischer, who is running for the 59th Ohio House District seat in the Nov. 5 election, raised $140,139 in the pregeneral period with $78,000 coming from the committees of Republican legislators and $27,400 from PACs.

Fischer’s biggest contributors were $15,500 each from the committees for Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, and House Speaker Jason Stephens, R-Kitts Hill. Huffman and Stephens are both seeking the speaker’s position for the next House session.

Fischer’s campaign also received $90,600 in in-kind contributions from the Ohio House Republican Alliance, the House Republicans’ campaign arm, for video, photos, polling, research, digital advertising, media production, text messaging and legal fees. The Mahoning County Board of Elections had a hearing to determine Fischer’s eligibility that ended in a 2-2 tie with Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, ruling in favor of Fischer. The legal fees were $7,500.

Fischer spent $32,874 as of Oct. 16 with his largest expenses being $10,032 to iHeart Media for radio ads and $10,000 to the OHRA as a caucus contribution.

As of Oct. 16, Fischer had $107,264 in his campaign fund.

Laura Schaeffer of Beloit, his Democratic challenger, raised $56,861 between April 20 and Oct. 16 with $23,000 coming from PACs and $3,000 from The Matriots, a Columbus group that supports female candidates.

She spent $50,335 in the period with $10,000 going to Nexstar of Atlanta, Georgia, for streaming video ads and $10,000 to Blue Phoenix Strategies of Youngstown for political consulting.

With a previous carryover, Schaeffer had $30,931 in her campaign fund as of Oct. 16.

The 59th District includes portions of Mahoning County and two Columbiana County townships. It favors Republicans by 12% based on partisan voting results.

State Rep. Lauren McNally of Youngstown — the lone Democrat in the Valley’s legislative delegation — raised $80,143 in the pregeneral period with $54,000 coming from PACs and $6,360 from the committees of Democratic legislators in her bid to represent the 59th House District.

McNally spent $51,512 in the period with $20,408 to the Ohio Democratic Party for campaign mail postage and $7,677 to Event Management LLC of Youngstown for printing and mailing of campaign materials and video and audio production.

McNally’s campaign had $74,060 left in its fund as of Oct. 16. The amount includes carryover from her previous campaign and filing periods.

Her Republican opponent, Emily Ciccone of Austintown, didn’t file a report.

The 58th District includes portions of Mahoning County and favors Democrats by more than 21% based on voting results.

TRUMBULL COUNTY

State Rep. Nick Santucci, R-Howland, seeking reelection to the 64th Ohio House District seat, raised more money in the pregeneral period than any other candidate representing the Valley in the state Legislature.

Santucci collected $262,734 between April 20 and Oct. 16 with $104,100 coming from PACs and $15,750 from the committees of Republican legislators. He also received a $15,499 contribution from Regina M. Mitchell, co-owner of Warren Fabricating, and $15,000 from Eric Rebhan, the company’s other co-owner.

Santucci received $10,000 from Holly L. Swartz of New Middletown, co-owner of Personal Protected Inc., and $5,000 contributions from 10 others.

Sa ntucci also received $53,315 combined from the Ohio House Republican Alliance and the Ohio Republican Party’s State Candidate Fund for media production, political staff, mail, research and text messages.

Santucci spent $288,369 in the pregeneral period with his largest expense being $25,000 to OHRA for advertising.

Santucci had $210,800 in his fund as of Oct. 16.

His Democratic opponent, Lauren Mathews of Warren, raised $15,908 in the pregeneral period, including a $2,000 loan to her campaign.

She received $2,250 from PACs and $3,000 from The Matriots.

Mathews spent $25,677 in the period with $18,350 going to Adapt Digital LLC of Findlay for digital advertising.

Because of a carryover from previous filing periods, Mathews had $330 in her campaign fund as of Oct. 16.

The district, which includes parts of Trumbull County, favors Democrats by about 2.5% based on voting results. But in the 2022 election, when the district favored Democrats by almost 10%, Santucci won by 1.8%.

In the 32nd Ohio Senate District race, incumbent Sandra O’Brien, R-Lenox, raised $49,300 in the pregeneral period with $28,000 coming from PACs and $15,500 from Patrick Preston of Newbury, owner of the Preston Superstore car dealership.

O’Brien also received $33,956 from the RSCC — $8,969 for media production and postage — and the Ohio Republican Party State Candidate Fund – $24,987 for direct mail.

During the Republican primary, the RSCC spent $452,587 to help O’Brien beat state Rep. Mike Loychik of Bazetta.

O’Brien spent $13,636 with her largest expense being $5,149 to Speedway in Jefferson for “gas for campaign.”

She had $104,575 in her account as of Oct. 16.

Michael Shrodek of Warren, O’Brien’s Democratic challenger, raised $14,601 in the pregeneral period.

He spent $14,383 with $7,225 of it going to Capitol Promotions of Glenside, Pa., for signs, shirts and a banner.

Most of the $1,451 his campaign received in in-kind contributions came from Shrodek.

With a small carryover from previous filing periods, Shrodek had $2,890 in his fund as of Oct. 16.

The 32nd District includes all of Trumbull and Ashtabula counties and most of Geauga County. It favors Republicans by about 10.5% based on past voting results.

In the 65th Ohio House District, Ashtabula County Auditor David Thomas of Jefferson is running unopposed in the Nov. 5 election.

In the pregeneral period, he raised $39,399 with $20,500 coming from PACs.

Thomas reported $34,930 in expenses, but listed only $25,428 worth of costs on his report. His largest expense was $10,000 to the Ohio House Republican Alliance.

He reported a $12,851 surplus as of Oct. 16.

The district, which includes parts of Trumbull and Ashtabula counties, favors Republicans by 14.5% based on partisan voting trends during the past decade.